


telling the truth

by asymptotes



Series: drabble series [1]
Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Dee is off somewhere with Ingrid Nelson idk, Fake Friends, Gen, High School, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Peer Pressure, tim murphy is the only 'popular' kid that liked Dennis fight me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:41:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24172231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asymptotes/pseuds/asymptotes
Summary: It was September 1993, the first month of their senior year. Mac’s father Luther was released from prison at the beginning of the month, only to be arrested again not even a week later. Mac doesn’t show up to school the next day.
Relationships: Charlie Kelly/Dennis Reynolds, Mac McDonald/Dennis Reynolds
Series: drabble series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1744645
Kudos: 9





	telling the truth

**Author's Note:**

> i asked for drabble requests on my tumblr because my writer's block has been heavy the last few weeks for obvious reasons. 
> 
> first request was for something soft between charlie and dennis during high school

It was September 1993, the first month of their senior year. Mac’s father Luther was released from prison at the beginning of the month, only to be arrested again not even a week later. Mac doesn’t show up to school the next day.

This shouldn’t affect Dennis, it doesn’t affect Dennis. He has a full social life, tons of friends and admirers. He can still start the school year strong. He can get back with Maureen Ponderosa if he really wants to - but he doesn’t. The first hour of Mac’s absence, he ignores Charlie’s attempt at making eye contact in the hallway before first period. He wasn’t going to embarrass himself asking Dirtgrub about Ronnie.

Sometimes when he talks to Charlie, he has the acute sensation that Charlie can see right through him. He doesn’t like it. He thinks he’ll keep this up all year if Mac doesn’t come back to school. He _will_ be coming back, right? 

At lunch, he chooses to sit with Adriano and Tim, their girlfriends and their friends. Tim offers Dennis a sip from his water bottle. When Dennis brings the bottle up to his face to drink, the scent of alcohol stings his nostrils. He grimaces.

“What the hell is in this?”

Tim smirks. “Come on Reynolds, I know you’re not dumb, it’s vodka!”

“Oh...I knew that,” Dennis lies.

“Well, Mr. Golden God, are you gonna drink it, or are you above earthly beverages?” Adriano chimes in.

Even worse than being understood, Dennis hated being mocked. He chances a glance around the table and everyone is staring at him. It feels like the students at other tables are turning to watch too. He looks down at the crinkled bottle in his hands and takes a moment to mentally curse Luther for being so selfish.

The vodka burns his throat like fire as it goes down. The last time he’d drank something so strong was when he was with Mac and Charlie in Charlie’s basement, not even a month ago. Holy shit, _Charlie_.

Tim raises his eyebrows. “Wow Reynolds, I’m impressed. I thought you’d say no, like a bitch.”

Dennis clears his throat. “Well, I thought _your Mom_ would say no, too.”

Everyone at the table laughs, even the girls, even Tim, and Adriano claps an affirming hand on his shoulder. The validation should feel great, but it doesn’t.

*

After the final period bell rings, Dennis makes a beeline straight to Charlie’s locker. Somehow he has the same one as last year, probably because administration knew nobody would want a locker that had been used to store cheese year round.

He finds Charlie there, kneeling on the dusty floor, stuffing his sketchbook and loose papers into a backpack that had definitely seen better days. Dennis stops a foot away from him, shifts the weight of his own Tommy Hilfiger backpack on his shoulder before speaking.

“Charlie, we gotta get Mac to come back to school. This is ridiculous.”

“Well, hello to you too, Dennis,” Charlie says. He doesn’t bother to look up.

“I’m serious, Charlie. Mac can’t miss any more school than he already has. He barely pays enough attention as is."

Charlie stands up from the ground and slams his locker door shut.

“You seemed to be having a great time at lunch today with your shiny awesome friends, so what do you care about Mac, huh? Or me, for that matter?”

Dennis glances around them: the hallway was quickly thinning out, with students practically racing to be out of the building first. Still, he steps forward a little, closer to Charlie.

“Don’t tell anyone I said this, but I think you guys are my only real friends.”

Charlie’s eyebrows shoot up towards his hairline and Dennis can’t help but crack a smile.

“Di-, did you just say what I think you just said?” Charlie asks, and his blue-green eyes shine bright, even in a dimly lit public school hallway.

Dennis had never noticed that about him before. He wonders what else about Charlie he hasn’t noticed because he was so preoccupied with what other people were noticing about him. He shrugs the thought away.

“Yes, I did, now, are you coming?” Dennis starts walking towards the front exit.

“Coming where?” Charlie calls out. Dennis turns around and holds his arms out dramatically.

“To go cheer Mac up so he’ll come back to school tomorrow, duh!”

“Oh!” Charlie smiles, surprised. “Yeah! Let’s go.”

On the drive over, Dennis lets Charlie pick the music and kick his dirty shoes up on the dashboard because that’s what a good friend does.

Then again, maybe that was just him.

**Author's Note:**

> this is the first drabble of hopefully a few. if you have a request, drop me an ask at charliesthirdeye.tumblr.com <3


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